Deaths in Childbirth Rising in United States As They Decline Elsewhere

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Bob Hallinan

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A troubling new report shows the United States is bucking a world-wide health trend. Every year in the U.S., 700 to 900 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes, and some 65,000 nearly die — by many measures, the worst record in the developed world. A study by the CDC Foundation showed that nearly 60 percent of such deaths were preventable.

There are several reasons for this alarming trend, but one of them is that hospitals, including those with intensive care units for newborns, can be woefully unprepared for a maternal emergency. Not so at The University of Kansas Health System, which has been leading the nation for years with a special training program that prepares everyone on the delivery team, even the unit clerk, to be able to handle any kind of emergency.

Dr. Carl Weiner, OBGYN, is director of The Center for Advanced Fetal Care at The University of Kansas Health System. In the video, he explains the program, called PROMPT, and how it’s led to significantly fewer cesarean sections, fewer injuries to babies and avoided medical costs totaling $20 million. Dr. Weiner and his team are also training other health care providers across the country. The video also shows Dr. Weiner demonstrating how the PROMPT training works.